17/04/2016

Writing A Book: Update #2

Good morning everyone! So I've been a little reticent about uploading todays post for a number of reasons, but I've finally bit the bullet and decided to do it. If you weren't aware since around about the start of March, I've been frantically typing at my computer attempting to finish a first draft of my book. In fact I've actually written a whole post dedicated to falling back in love with fiction writing so if you're interested in why I write or how I came to start this particular book, look no further!

Okay so onto why I was feeling hesitant to post this. I am no stranger to writing fiction. I have, to be honest, been doing it pretty much my entire life. And when I was sixteen, after finishing my GCSEs I decided to start a Wattpad account. If you don't know what Wattpad is, it's basically a website / app where writers can post their books in instalments - i.e. chapter by chapter - so other people can read them. It's entirely free to do and is fabulous for anyone who enjoys writing and would like people to read their work. The problem with Wattpad is that a lot (not all) of the work on there is pretty darn terrible so the readers learn not to have too higher a standard. I used Wattpad consistently for maybe a little over a year and a half with some success. I do have a book on their with almost 10K reads but honestly it's the worst thing ever, it makes me cringe to even think about it.

But back to the point. When I uploaded onto Wattpad the people reading my books were strangers. I didn't have to worry about impressing them or what they would think. In a way it's like blogging. The thought of telling my 'real life' friends about either my blog or my book is laughable. So I guess I'm pushing my nerves about 'what people will think' onto this as well.

Not to mention the fact that I feel very protective over my characters. It may seem odd to a non-writer but honestly I feel like they're my children and all I want to do is protect them and keep them bubble wrapped from the outside world! (Oh my god I sound like a full on nutter!)

But at the end of the day, who cares?! Why should it bother me if someone reads the blurb of my book and rolls theirs eyes? To be honest I don't really know. I mean J K Rowling (AKA The Queen) was rejected countless times before Harry Potter was published. So I decided that I don't really care if you don't like my book, this is my blog and I can post what I want. #Brutal. No, but obviously I do care, I think I just need to stop worrying so much about what other people will think.

So firstly I wanted to give you all some updates as to where I am with the writing process. When we last spoke about this I was about 30,000 words or so in, and I'm proud to say I'm still going strong! I've just checked and the current word count is 68,689, which officially makes it my longest book yet! It also means I've written about 30,000 words in a month which is insane! (Second longest was like 67,000 before I stopped writing.) I'm so happy with how it's going and the fact that I've only got about 15,000 words or so to go literally makes me want to cry with delight. Right now, I can't wait to finish the first draft so I can start the editing process because there are definitely some things I'd like to change vis a vis the structure and the grammar.

Okay so now I wanted to speak a little bit about the premise and the vibe of the books I'm writing. I'm aware that this is not a everybody-will-adore-this kind of story, but I didn't really want to write a sappy contemporary. Because whilst I love reading these, my heart will always lie in fantasy. So sorry if you've just switched off because the thought of magic makes you want to hurl.

I'm currently writing the first in a quartet of books based heavily off of the influences of European folklore. This is something I've always been interested in and having the chance to warp it into my own story has been such fun. As I said above the book is a fantasy story based around the two faerie courts often spoken of in folklore. But at it's heart, I'm writing a story about relationships. Relationships between family, between people with growing feelings for one another, unrequited love and those who want what they cannot have. I'm a firm believer in the fact that your characters should propel a story forward, not the other way around, so even if you're not a fantasy reader, you might still enjoy my book. (Maybe.) ;)

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And because I'm obsessed with visuals I spend a good two hours the other day playing around with images and text to create the four book covers below. They're placed in sequence so the first book is A Hidden Darkness, the second, These Growing Shadows, the third, Fires of Colliding Hearts and the forth Atop The Soaring Clouds. Obviously none of the images belong to me, I found them all on Pinterest, but the text and all that is my design.

And lastly I wanted to include the blurb for the first book.

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Do you ever get that feeling you’re being followed? That spine tingling, hairs prickling, shiver down the back of your spine.

Emilie did.

And confiding in a boy with whom she’d formed an uneasy acquaintance only proved to make her more paranoid. But nothing, not even her worries of secret small-town gangs, could have prepared her for what she discovered upon following him to the town boundaries. For hidden amongst rock crevices is an entrance to a world she’d never thought could truly exist.

But nothing can stay a secret forever, as Emilie is thrown into a world alight with tension, intrigue and danger. The Faerie Courts, a stone’s throw from being at war with one another, a kidnapped best friend and two brothers intent on causing havoc in each other’s lives.

How can one eighteen year old girl survive in a place she barely understands?

When all she wants is to save her friend and go home, can anything make her stay?

The only thing she knows for sure is that none of it was supposed to happen but she’s fallen deep for a world she cannot expect to keep.

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Ahhh it feels so weird to have written that out on here! Anyways, I hope you don't hate it too much and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask!

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(Pretty sure it goes without saying that these characters and this world are of my own imagination and therefore I hold all the rights to them. So please don't attempt to use my ideas or anything because I will hunt you down. Just saying.)

4 comments

Aaah this so so interesting, this is such an amazing hobby to have - I wouldn't know were to even start, writing a book! - the blurb honestly sounds so intrguing - if you ever publish it/ put it out to the world, I'll honestly be the first to read it, you really should be proud of yourself!! xxx

Reading this post made me incredibly excited & happy! :) The covers you created for your books look absolutely amazing & I honestly love the blurb for the first one. It's definitely the kind of book I like to read. I can totally relate to feeling nervous about sharing sharing this, I did too when I wrote about my book on my blog. Thank you for sharing this though, it really encourages me to keep going with my own writing x

Awww thank you so much! I'm so happy I decided to write this post because it finally feels like I'm putting a tiny bit of my story out on the Internet, which has been a long time coming! And I'm obsessed with the covers too!! I love designing things like that, I could probably do it all day! Thank you again, it means so much to me! Xxx